Michiko Kakami

Up‐regulated cytokine‐inducible SH2‐containing protein expression in allergen‐stimulated T cells from hen's egg‐allergic patients

Background Although changes in the fine balance of allergen‐specific T cells are crucial in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, their roles in the allergic reaction to hens eggs (HE) have not yet been fully analysed.

Transient pancytopenia associated with parvovirus infection in a healthy child

Human parvovirus (HPV) B19 infection has been reported to be a cause of transient erythroblastopenia in patients with hemolytic disorders (aplastic crisis). 1 Human parvovirus B19 is directly cytotoxic for erythroid progenitor cells and inhibits erythropoiesis. 2 Infrequently, HPV B19 inhibits hematopoiesis of three cell lineages and causes transient pancytopenia in patients with hemolytic disorders. 3,4 In experimental infections with normal volunteers, reticulocytes and platelet counts in the peripheral blood decreased 10–14 days after intranasal inoculation, and these hematological abnormalities recovered spontaneously within a few weeks. 5 We report a boy without any underlying disease who developed transient pancytopenia. A HPV B19 infection was confirmed by serological studies and DNA analysis as the causative infectious agent associated with severe pancytopenia.

Short‐term efficacy of tacrolimus ointment and impact on quality of life

Background:  Topical calcineurin inhibitor (TCI) was reported to be an effective therapeutic agent for patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), for not only improving clinical findings but also for reducing pruritus. Recently in Japan tacrolimus ointment (0.03%) as a TCI was approved for use in children aged ≥2 years. There have been no reports, however, on the impact of TCI on quality of life (QOL) in pediatric AD in Japan. The purpose of the present study was therefore to evaluate the efficacy of tacrolimus ointment (0.03%) in the short‐term and the impact on patient QOL.